DCB/DBC Mobile beta
+

As part of the funding agreement between the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and the Canadian Museum of History, we invite readers to take part in a short survey.

I’ll take the survey now.

Remind me later.

Don’t show me this message again.

I have already taken the questionnaire

DCB/DBC News

New Biographies

Minor Corrections

Biography of the Day

LÉPINE, AMBROISE-DYDIME – Volume XV (1921-1930)

b. 18 March 1840 in St Boniface (Man.)

Confederation

Responsible Government

Sir John A. Macdonald

From the Red River Settlement to Manitoba (1812–70)

Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Sir George-Étienne Cartier

Sports

The Fenians

Women in the DCB/DBC

The Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences of 1864

Introductory Essays of the DCB/DBC

The Acadians

For Educators

The War of 1812 

Canada’s Wartime Prime Ministers

The First World War

DU PLESSIS-BOCHART, CHARLES, naval officer, lieutenant of Émery de Caën, head clerk of the Compagnie des Cent-Associés; known in Canada between 1633 and 1636.

It has been hinted, although no real proof has been advanced, that Du Plessis-Bochart was related to Cardinal Richelieu and the Duchesse d’Aiguillon; that is not impossible. However that may be, the protection given by these two personages is apparent in Du Plessis-Bochart’s work in New France. He proved worthy of it, for he displayed unflagging activity in the service of the Cent-Associés.

The treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye having restored Canada to France on 29 March 1632, Émery de Caën was deputed to go and retake possession of it with his lieutenant, the Sieur Du Plessis-Bochart. The fort of Quebec was officially handed over to them on 13 July. On 22 May 1633, as Champlain was back at Quebec, Émery de Caën entrusted the keys of the fort to Du Plessis-Bochart, who handed them over to Champlain the next day, “according to the cardinal’s decree.” In the autumn of the same year Du Plessis-Bochart received the order to take the fur-trading vessels back to France. He returned the following spring in command of four ships, one of which brought Robert Giffard, his family, and his party of emigrants.

Bochart served as a constant link between France and her colony, and carried out his mission zealously and intelligently. He made efforts to familiarize himself with the Indian mentality and its propensities, he convoked various tribes, and tried to make them settle. He founded a fur-trading post at Tadoussac and actively assisted Champlain, who wanted to strengthen the strategic fort of Trois-Rivières. His numerous voyages had, however, undermined his health, and he went back to France on 23 Aug. 1636, his name disappearing finally from our history at the period when changes were being made in the governing body of the Cent-Associés. In the command of the fleet he was replaced by M. de Courpont and in the office of head clerk by François Derré de Gand.

In the index of the Jesuit Relations (Thwaites) Charles Du Plessis-Bochart has been confused with Guillaume Guillemot, also called Du Plessis-Kerbodot.

Raymond Douville

JR (Thwaites). JJ (Laverdière et Casgrain). Desrosiers, Iroquoisie. Godbout, Les pionniers de la région trifluvienne, 11. Sulte, Mélanges historiques (Malchelosse), V, 9–28.

General Bibliography

Cite This Article

Raymond Douville, “DU PLESSIS-BOCHART, CHARLES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed March 18, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/du_plessis_bochart_charles_1E.html.

The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:


Permalink:   http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/du_plessis_bochart_charles_1E.html
Author of Article:   Raymond Douville
Title of Article:   DU PLESSIS-BOCHART, CHARLES
Publication Name:   Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1
Publisher:   University of Toronto/Université Laval
Year of publication:   1966
Year of revision:   1979
Access Date:   March 18, 2024